The five year itch: Couples at peak divorce risk just before fifth anniversary

A previous study has shown that newlyweds expect at least seven years before getting tired of their partners.

But the new findings that emerged in a study of divorce trends in the U.S., Scandinavian countries and in Russia, have revealed that couples begin to grow fed up with each other after just four years and are at peak risk of divorce just before their fifth anniversary.

Researchers in the US, Russia and Scandinavia investigating the longevity of relationships found that the “honeymoon period” lasts for less than five years, with most divorces likely to happen between five and 10 years into the marriage.

They said that those who manage to make it to ten years are likely to remain married for good.

Aiva Jasilioniene, an academic specialising in marriage and cohabitation studies, helped produce the report for the Max Planck Institute in Rostock, Germany.

“Crisis point for the modern marriage is arriving sooner. One of the explanations for these changes in divorce risk is that during the first decade of marriage both partners go through crucial life - course transitions and challenging experiences - completion of education, building a career, bearing children and so on,” the Daily Mail quoted her, as saying.

“During the later years, the couple have developed strategies to deal with problems they arise,” she added.

The findings also revealed that the decision to remain together could possibly have a more practical basis. They said that as people become more affluent, the cost of splitting up could be a powerful factor in keeping couples together.

The report also showed that couples who marry young and those living in urban areas are more likely to divorce; while tying the knot at an older age contributes to marital stability. (ANI)